Article November 17, 2014 Issue

Can we be too generous?

Margaret Wylie

Many years ago I was touched when I read about individuals who gave generously, so I began clipping articles for a file on philanthropy. In the back of my thought was the sense of “Wouldn’t it be great to be able to give like that?” It didn’t occur to me then that more is required of us. At that time, I was mostly thinking in terms of giving money.

A statement by Mary Baker Eddy gives the definition of true substance: “Man shines by borrowed light. He reflects God as his Mind, and this reflection is substance,—the substance of good” (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 57). We learn in Christian Science that each one has something to give: his understanding of God. This giving is expressed in daily living and takes many different forms—sometimes in the form of money, sometimes in simply praying about a situation. A spiritual sense of giving is truly unlimited.

One year, a couple of weeks before Christmas, after I’d written Christmas gift checks for family and several worthy organizations, the thought came: “Well, that’s the last gift check that I’m going to write this year!” Not long after that, a call came from my church letting it be known that further contributions were needed for a special fund. Since I felt satisfied that I had given all I could give for the year (my “fair share”), I did not commit to giving more.

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